MUNDAKKAI: Navya Haridas, the NDA candidate in Wayanad, said that people should realise the false propaganda of the left and right fronts that the Centre was not allotting funds in the name of the Chooralmala landslide disaster.

"I've also visited the disaster site. Although the state government had announced relief measures in connection with the Puthumala disaster that happened earlier, they were not implemented. The government collected funds and received central assistance. Back then, it was directed to relocate around 4,000 people. However, no action was taken to relocate so many people. If it had been followed, the death toll in the Chooralmala disaster would not have been so high. The Centre has provided Rs 300 crores twice so far, yet the state is asking for more funds," Navya said.

"According to the records, the state government's annual disaster relief fund has 782 crores. They mentioned submitting a package, but haven't clarified what this package entails or how the rehabilitation process will work. Then how can the Centre allot the funds? After the disaster, the Centre took action to help the state. Union Minister George Kurian arrived first, followed by the Prime Minister," Navya told Kerala Kaumudi.

About your candidature in Wayanad?
I didn't even expect to be named a candidate in Wayanad. This is like a dream. Ours is a BJP family. The party has assigned me a great responsibility. I have to win.

This isn't your first election?
No. In 2015, I had contested in a women's reserved ward during the Kozhikode Corporation elections. At that time, I was in Singapore with my husband and had come home for a vacation. I won by a margin of 120 votes. In the next election, I contested in a general ward as well. I won that election by a majority of 479 votes. Later, I contested against Ahamed Devarkovil from Kozhikode South to the Legislative Assembly.

Family?
I got married while working as a software engineer in HSBC in Hyderabad. My husband is Shobin Shyam, a native of Thana in Kannur, who works as a marine rig auditor in Singapore. We have two children- Sathwik Shobin and Ishana Shobin. My parents are Karapparambu native T Haridas and TM Shakuntala.

Full-time politics?
If I hadn't won in the Karapparambu ward back then, I would have been in Singapore with my husband by now. Responsibilities kept piling up one after another.